Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) vs Cisco IOS Security comparison

Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) vs. Cisco IOS Security

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

ROI

Sentiment score

6.8

Users experience ROI from Check Point Cloud Firewall via improved security, cost savings, efficiency, and satisfaction with enhanced management.

Sentiment score

7.4

Cisco IOS Security delivered significant ROI through improved routing, security, stability, and cost-efficiency, despite competitive vendor pressures.

The value lies in maintaining operational integrity with zero downtime or incidents, facilitating secure, ongoing business operations.

reviewer2647578

Cybersecurity consultant at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees

Implementing CloudGuard has resulted in an excellent return on investment over one hundred percent ROI.

For more quotes and insights, download the Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) report

Android Developer at Droidforge

The unified policy is comprehensive and helps me to create firewall policies that are shared across all our facilities and plants.

Daniel Sander

System engineer at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees

The return on investment is satisfactory with Cisco products as they have long lifespans, and our customers are satisfied with them.

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco IOS Security report

Head of Cyber Defense Department and Network Technologies Department at Verso Altima

Customer Service

Sentiment score

7.2

Check Point Cloud Firewall support is praised for prompt, knowledgeable assistance despite regional disparities and occasional challenges.

Sentiment score

6.7

Cisco IOS Security support is generally praised for speed and skill, though some report delays and complexity in access.

They usually respond quite fast, and they are very knowledgeable about what they do.

Dimitris Baziotopoulos

Network security engineer at a tech services company with 201-500 employees

We had an endless loop of emails trying to fix this, and the suggestion was to reinstall the gateway and do it from scratch, which was not an option at that point because it would leave that specific location without access.

Andrei Ganciu

System administrator at a consultancy with 201-500 employees

Available twenty-four by seven.

For more quotes and insights, download the Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) report

Android Developer at Droidforge

My impression is that the support quality has deteriorated over time.

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco IOS Security report

Head of Cyber Defense Department and Network Technologies Department at Verso Altima

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

7.7

Check Point Cloud Firewall offers scalable, flexible, and reliable security, ideal for enterprises needing seamless defense across virtual and cloud environments.

Sentiment score

7.4

Cisco IOS Security offers scalable, enterprise-level solutions but may increase costs and limit universality due to required hardware.

It is capable of managing the increased load and performs well as our needs expand.

Viral Shaa

IT Security Analyst at Eos Energy Enterprises, Inc.

I can deploy it everywhere I need it.

Christian Riedl

Security & Network Services at a tech company with 201-500 employees

We have transitioned from 1,000 to 500 users without any issue.

Sam Deprettere

Cloud Infrastructure Engineer at delaware BeLux

For more quotes and insights, download the Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) report

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco IOS Security report

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

8.0

Check Point Cloud Firewall is reliable and stable, performing well despite minor external challenges and requiring regular maintenance.

Sentiment score

7.6

Cisco IOS Security is generally reliable with occasional issues, frequently updated for stability, scoring 7-10 in satisfaction.

I have not observed any downtime.

Mantas Mazeika

Sales manager/ project manager at Atea

For instance, when we are working on a release and do an upgrade, we start experiencing unexpected issues.

Rui-Pereira

Chief Technology Officer at Chief Security Officers

The solution is stable.

David Gippner

Network administrator at Helios IT Service GmbH

For more quotes and insights, download the Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) report

We find Cisco products stable and thoroughly tested before new software or firmware versions are released.

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco IOS Security report

Head of Cyber Defense Department and Network Technologies Department at Verso Altima

I find Cisco IOS Security to be a very stable product.

Binoob John

Partner/Owner and Director of Human Resources at Up arrow Systems

Room For Improvement

Check Point Cloud Firewall struggles with onboarding, latency, support, and integration, needing simplification and performance improvements for competitiveness.

Cisco IOS Security struggles with integration, usability, cost, lacking features, complex licensing, performance, and requires enhancement and support.

Scalability could be improved as well; needing to purchase a new license each time I want to add a new interface is not ideal.

Stefan Baumgartner

Security architect at Twinformatics

Better documentation would be welcome.

Dimitris Baziotopoulos

Network security engineer at a tech services company with 201-500 employees

The user interface could be more intuitive, and the initial setup and configuration can be complex, requiring a technical team.

For more quotes and insights, download the Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) report

Android Developer at Droidforge

Cisco changes their licensing policy quite frequently, which is becoming confusing and complicated.

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco IOS Security report

Head of Cyber Defense Department and Network Technologies Department at Verso Altima

Setup Cost

Enterprise buyers perceive Check Point Cloud Firewall pricing as mixed, with flexible options but potentially high costs for advanced features.

Cisco IOS Security is costly, favoring medium to large enterprises with longer-term savings over SMB challenges.

The pricing and licensing are expensive, costing between seven thousand to eight thousand dollars.

For more quotes and insights, download the Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) report

Android Developer at Droidforge

Check Point is expensive, however, with the features and capabilities, I can justify the cost.

Thanos Constantopoulos

Manager, Managed Security Services at a tech vendor with 51-200 employees

It is the highest in the market.

Daniel Sander

System engineer at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees

The cost of Cisco IOS Security for customers is on the higher end of pricing compared to the competition, depending on the targeted customers.

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco IOS Security report

Head of Cyber Defense Department and Network Technologies Department at Verso Altima

Valuable Features

Check Point Cloud Firewall offers advanced security, scalability, and integration for seamless and secure operations in multi-cloud environments.

Cisco IOS Security offers scalable, stable solutions with VPN, AAA, firewall integration, and user-friendly management for high-demand environments.

One of the most valuable features is the automated threat prevention, which helps us detect and block potential cyberattacks in real-time, minimizing data breaches.

For more quotes and insights, download the Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) report

Android Developer at Droidforge

Centralized management is the feature I like best, resulting in reduced workload and more continuous policy.

Christian Riedl

Security & Network Services at a tech company with 201-500 employees

Network Security provides us with unified security management across hybrid and cloud as well as on-prem.

Thanos Constantopoulos

Manager, Managed Security Services at a tech vendor with 51-200 employees

This solution, called Network Access Controller, handles authentication, authorization, and accounting for devices accessing the network.

Binoob John

Partner/Owner and Director of Human Resources at Up arrow Systems

The best features of Cisco IOS Security are its integration with software management tools such as Cisco DNA Center and Cisco ICE, which provide centralized policy and network access control.

For more quotes and insights, download the Cisco IOS Security report

Head of Cyber Defense Department and Network Technologies Department at Verso Altima

Categories and Ranking

Check Point Cloud Firewall ...

Ranking in Firewalls

8th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

170

Ranking in other categories

Managed Security Services Providers (MSSP) (1st), Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions (3rd), Cloud and Data Center Security (5th), WAN Edge (3rd), Unified Threat Management (UTM) (4th)

Cisco IOS Security

Ranking in Firewalls

41st

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Intrusion Detection and Prevention Software (IDPS) (16th)

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Firewalls category, the mindshare of Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) is 2.7%, up from 0.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco IOS Security is 0.6%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Firewalls Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security)	2.7%
Cisco IOS Security	0.6%
Other	96.7%

Firewalls

Featured Reviews

reviewer2875401

Network Engineer at a outsourcing company with 10,001+ employees

Unified security policies have protected our hybrid network with deep, user-based controls

The main limitations of Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) are not in Check Point itself but in the cloud platforms on which it is deployed. Because not all clouds have L2 infrastructure, you cannot build a unified clustering system everywhere. As a result, the problem usually is not with Check Point, but with the cloud. The main problem with Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) is that it uses a separate thick client instead of a browser. A browser-based SmartConsole exists, but it still has a number of limitations, while the thick client, the so-called SmartConsole, often works unstably, freezes, and has to be restarted. I do not recommend using Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) as a VPN hub for site-to-site VPN because it is inconvenient to monitor the state of its tunnels, especially visually. It does not have a convenient snap-in and everything can be checked only via the console, which is very inconvenient. Check Point is not the most universal solution as a device that provides routing and administration capabilities in addition to security. It is an excellent firewall, but it has a number of limitations in terms of routing and in creating VPN sessions, especially in terms of displaying their states.

Read full review

Have faced challenges in keeping licensing clear and consistent while ensuring reliable network protection

Head of Cyber Defense Department and Network Technologies Department at Verso Altima

We are a Gold Partner with Cisco. Our customers come from various industries, including service providers, and we target service providers and enterprise customers.We do not extensively use Zone-Based Firewalls in Cisco IOS Security, instead typically deploying standalone firewalls such as Cisco FTDs or Cisco ASA devices. For threat analytics and vulnerability scanning, we utilize third-party vendors with dedicated devices and software. We use products such as Tenable from Nessus for this type of analysis. We have implemented Secure Access Control Server in Cisco IOS Security, which combines multiple security mechanisms including AAA, 802.1X for network access control with Cisco ICE, TrustSec for identity-based segmentation, and Cisco DNA Center. Cisco IOS Security's VPN support is comprehensive and increasingly important in daily communication, from basic site-to-site tunnels to remote access VPNs and SD-WAN secure VPNs. Protecting and encrypting communication is essential in modern networks. The challenges with Cisco IOS Security are more operational than product-related. There is an understaffing issue, making automation and orchestration capabilities particularly valuable. For the products themselves, we only encounter routine operational matters such as addressing new vulnerabilities and patching. For those considering Cisco IOS Security, it is important to understand that Cisco offers a complete ecosystem. When embracing the Cisco ecosystem fully, customers receive excellent products and comprehensive solutions. On a scale of 1-10, I rate Cisco IOS Security a 9.

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Construction Company

17%

Outsourcing Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

Construction Company

19%

Outsourcing Company

11%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	73
Midsize Enterprise	41
Large Enterprise	81

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	20
Midsize Enterprise	14
Large Enterprise	18

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Check Point CloudGuard Network Security?

Since we use a unified standard for using policies and modules in Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security), we can clearly plan which modules we need to activate on a parti...

What needs improvement with Check Point CloudGuard Network Security?

What is your primary use case for Check Point CloudGuard Network Security?

Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) is the main manager that provides network security in different forms in my organization. The primary task that Check Point solves ...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco IOS Security?

The cost of Cisco IOS Security for customers is on the higher end of pricing compared to the competition, depending on the targeted customers.This can be a major issue as enterprise customers are o...

What needs improvement with Cisco IOS Security?

Regarding improvements in Cisco IOS Security, what consistently confuses me is the inability of Cisco to maintain a clear licensing policy.This is an issue that I have observed for years now. Cisco...

What is your primary use case for Cisco IOS Security?

The main use cases for Cisco IOS Security include elementary device hardening, access control, control-plane policing, AAA (Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting), network security, Layer 2...

Azure Firewall vs Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security)

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Product Reports

Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security)

Download Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) product report

Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) report

Cisco IOS Security

Download Cisco IOS Security product report

Also Known As

CloudGuard IaaS, Check Point vSEC, CloudGuard IaaS, Check Point Virtual Systems, Check Point CloudGuard Network Security

IOS Security

Overview

Check Point Cloud Firewall delivers advanced threat prevention and administration ease with centralized management of hybrid clouds. It offers seamless cloud platform integration, maintaining consistent security policies and enhancing efficiency.

Check Point Cloud Firewall is designed for comprehensive cloud security, ensuring perimeter protection, traffic inspection, and threat prevention. It is often used for safeguarding workloads and applications in public cloud settings like AWS and Azure. The firewall effectively controls both east-west and north-south traffic and supports hybrid cloud setups. Utilizing features like VPN, IPS, and URL filtering, it secures environments across multiple platforms, helping manage compliance effectively while addressing latency, API integration, and onboarding challenges.

What are the key features?

Advanced Threat Prevention: Defends against cyber threats across hybrid clouds.
Auto-Scaling: Automatically adjusts resources to meet demand.
Unified Security Management: Centralizes management for consistent security.
REST API Automation: Enables seamless integration with existing workflows.
Robust VPN Capabilities: Ensures secure data transmission across networks.

What benefits to expect in reviews?

Ease of Administration: Simplified management processes across environments.
Operational Efficiency: Enhances productivity by reducing risk and complexity.
Consistent Security Policies: Maintains a uniform security posture between clouds.
User-Friendly Interface: Streamlines user interactions and task completion.

Check Point Cloud Firewall sees frequent use in sectors needing robust perimeter protection, such as finance and healthcare, where compliance is critical. Its capabilities suit businesses utilizing public cloud infrastructures, managing complex hybrid models, or requiring strong VPN services and traffic control.

Check Point Software Technologies

Cisco IOS Security integrates advanced VPN capabilities, IPsec security, and firewall features, ensuring scalable and reliable protection suitable for enterprise networks.

Cisco IOS Security offers comprehensive firewall integration, robust AAA capabilities, and encryption, empowering organizations with a reliable network environment. EEM provides flexibility and programmability, while integrated threat detection, intrusion prevention, and centralized management enhance its security profile. Despite its reliability, challenges include complexity in configuration, high pricing, and confusing licensing policies. Performance issues and the need for enhanced integration, automation, and better monitoring tools are areas for improvement.

What are the key features of Cisco IOS Security?

VPN Capabilities: Ensures secure remote connectivity.
IPsec Security: Offers robust encryption for data protection.
Firewall Integration: Enhances network defense with built-in firewalls.
AAA Capabilities: Provides secure authentication, authorization, and accounting.
Threat Detection: Identifies and mitigates threats proactively.

What benefits should organizations look for in reviews?

Reliability: Recognized for its stable network performance.
Scalability: Supports growing network demands seamlessly.
Comprehensive Security: Offers robust protection against diverse cyber threats.
Ease of Configuration: Facilitates efficient network setup and management.

Industries leverage Cisco IOS Security to protect against zero-day attacks, deploy secure VPNs, and facilitate network access control and compliance checks. Organizations utilize its features for firewalls, routing, and switching, integrating technologies like Cisco ICE and TrustSec to enhance security across enterprise environments.

Cisco

Sample Customers

Physicians Choice Laboratory Services, Helvetica Insurance

Arup Group, Brunel University London, City of Biel, Gobierno de Castilla-La Mancha, K&L Gates , New South Wales Rural Fire Service, Offshore Northern Seas, Transplace

Check Point Cloud Firewall (formerly CloudGuard Network Security) vs. Cisco IOS Security